Free Guy: I Wasn't Expecting To Get Punched In The Heart

Free Guy is exactly what I need in a movie these days: funny, light, and warm.

A combination of age and crumbling society has resulted in tender, finnicky nerves that make finding a show or movie to watch an ordeal. I can't deal with dark or gritty movies, I find romance/romcoms more than tired, and even horror movies- my favorite genre- can sometimes fail to grasp my attention.

Every so often though, a movie comes along that just . . . hits right. Free Guy is that movie. Yeah I know it came out months ago, and all the reviews are already written, and blah blah blah. So take this moment to decide if you really want to read my opinions on this movie. Decide, if you haven't seen the movie yet, if you want my spoilers to color your expectations.

And let's begin.

God Damn You, Shawn Levy

That son of a bitch did it AGAIN.

My first Shawn Levy film was Big Fat Liar, with Amanda Bynes and Frankie Muniz. What I always remember loving about that movie was not only that Jason and Kaylee remained best friends without any stupid thrown-in romance, but that it was one of the best adventures a kid could possibly have while being "realistic". The themes of strong friendships, good character growth, and delightfully fun adventures are present themes in all of his movies.

Honestly, I didn't even know that so many of the movies I loved were directed by this guy! The Night at the Museum series, The Internship, Cheaper By The Dozen?! An impeccable body of work.

And In Free Guy, those central tenets of a Shawn Levy movie are . . . they're magnified times 100. For the type of movie Free Guy is, Levy has more room to make adventures that are out of this world- well, because he's working in a virtual world. Shawn Levy is not afraid to make those corny jokes, those obvious references, where some might scoff at it in some pretentious mask to come off as too mature or sophisticated to stoop to those. But . . . that's what makes a movie so fun in my opinion! Go for that lame joke, that corny one-liner, because I came to watch a funny movie, damn it, and corny dad jokes are funny.

You know who else is funny? Ryan Reynolds. I don't give two shits about "oh he plays the same character every time" because every time that character is a funny little awkward turtle and I enjoy that. So when you combine funny, just a little off Ryan Reynolds with funny, corny Shawn Levy?

You get my new comfort film.

I adored the way Levy and Reynolds allowed themselves to have a lot of fun with not only the film, but the opportunities afforded by being a part of Disney. Hell yeah, I'm talking about the Disney Property cameos. I make no bones about being a simple girl. I see things I like, I like it. So when I saw Guy pull out Captain America's shield? I literally cheered out loud. When I saw Chris Evans pause sipping from his uber expensive whatever to react?

Exceptional.

When I saw him pull out a lightsaber, accompanied by the iconic Star Wars theme song?

Sensational.

Guy + Buddy 4 Ever

Earlier I said I loved how the bonds of friendship in a Levy feature could be just as strong or even stronger than the romantic bonds. I checked to see if perhaps Levy had a writer partner who he always worked with to explain this, but they're usually different meaning this is just a character staple in his movies. And I love it! As an aro ace person I love when movies don't introduce a character (or multiple) that are supposed to be the best friends and support system of a main character, but then they get shunted to the side or deemed unimportant in the face of a romance. Friendships should be shown as just as important to a person as a romantic relationship! Maybe you could say that this happens in Free Guy once Guy meets Molotovgirl, but . . . I don't know, maybe what keeps me from saying that is the "They Live"-esque scene where Guy tries to get Buddy to see what the world truly looks like.

He not only tries to get Buddy to follow him into bucking game protocol by being a self-played character, but even when Buddy backs down from the sunglasses, he never gets mad or shows any sort of negative reaction. He just understands and is kind, gentle even, to Buddy's obvious aversion to that step. Even then, when Guy needs a friendly ear and a shoulder to lean on, Buddy never hesitates even despite his hesitance with Guy's new, er, lifestyle. Buddy is the guy who comes to help Guy fight Dude, Buddy is the guy to run across the bridge with Guy, and . . . Buddy is the one to not only assure Guy that his deletion isn't his fault, but that he thanks Guy for making this the best day of his life. Like, damn, I felt a little lump in my throat from that.

Get you a beer-on-the-beach sharing, Dude beating bestie like that.

Guy Was The Change I Wish I Could See

Guy was an AI. Which was a really cool twist, not in that I couldn't figure it out before the reveal, but in the . . . we were watching him learn and try so earnestly. He was earnest in his feelings, and his attempts to not only change himself but his world!

That purity of self, that earnest will, made him a very admirable character to me. Many times when a movie introduces an AI character (with the heartbreaking exception of, well . . . AI) something goes awry and the previously neutral character becomes problematic. Like 2001: A Space Odyssey, the remake of Child's Play, or Smart House. And this is one of those lovely instances where an AI grows, despite the fraught conditions, and becomes a shining beacon of good.

Even though he had a singular goal- level up to impress Molotovgirl- he never chose easier, meaner ways of doing so. He didn't take cheap routes like hurting other people to attain his goals, stealing or ransacking. Everything he did was what he wished others would do, I think. You know, not setting people on fire, or shooting people, or hurling innocent shopkeepers through windows. He did what he wanted, the way he wanted, and via the magic of the illustrious "stolen code", he inspired change in others. He made Barista Girl learn how to create things like cappuccinos, lattes, and she even had designs to create boba tea. The Bombshell has ignored the typical dudebro heroes to write a memoir and perhaps even pursue Barista Girl! He convinced NPCs to not be NPCs anymore! Which leads me to the next great change Guy made for me.

I'm not a big gamer. Over my childhood I had always wished to get into games but just was never able to . . . I got bored with the premise, or the crazy movements of the camera would trigger motion sickness. I always preferred to watch my little brother play games- starting out with ATV Offroad Fury, then Spiderman 2, Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty. And that's where my view of video games kind of changed.

I didn't think much of it at the time, nothing beyond amused confusion and at worst exasperation, but . . . yeah, I watched countless friends kill other people in the game. Remember the whole screw and kill a hooker thing you could do in those games? That was always super uncomfortable but I couldn't explain that to any guy friends without some scoffed dismissal via my gender or non-gamer status. Whatever, the early 2000s were kind of awful all around. But then, whooo boy!! Those COD lobbies! Cesspools of misogyny, racism, all kinds of terrible isms that I watched my little brother just laugh through and get revenge by getting headshots and tea bagging his kills.

Now let me be clear. I am not in the "Video Games Are BAD!" camp. I grew up with the debate of video game psychology, and the papers that definitely stated that no, video games are not responsible for making people do bad things. People are responsible for their own actions, and nothing in a video game makes a person make bad decisions. But I wondered about the people who spent hours on a video game just to kill NPC characters. You know how many videos there are dedicated to dinosaurs in Jurassic World Evolution getting free and killing park guests? Or the gameplays just dedicated to people in GTA solely getting 5 stars?

So here comes Free Guy, and the NPC Guy who . . . totally disregards that toxicity. Who, through his own desires to be the "hero", inspires others to take a second look at how they play games. I loved those little moments in the movie where they'd get reactions from streamers about "Blue Shirt Guy". Where they marvel at his capabilities, his levelling-up prowess, and at his do-good attitude. And Guy inspired not just big-time streamers, but the people that followed them. People everywhere wanted to believe in something better. Something not good, but great.

Joe Keery

I just like Joe Keery okay, is that a problem, I thought not.

Final thoughts?

I love Free Guy a lot. I love Guy and Buddy being besties for life. I love watching Guy level up at first in frustration but then with ease. I love seeing Officer Johnny threaten to shoot Guy for ordering a cappuccino. I love the song choice for the soundtrack. I love that Dinotopia-esque paradise everybody lives in now where you can just go watch them live peacefully. I love Dude's incomprehensible but good nature. I love Buddy's triumphant return! I love Keys being obsessed with Millie from the jump and Millie being very oblivious until-

My favorite line in the movie. Surpassing all the one liners and jokes, my favorite line in this movie is, "I'm just a love letter to you. Somewhere out there is the author."

How beautiful is that line?! I loved the video Keys recorded, where he revealed his feelings but did so knowing that Millie would probably never actually reach that part of near the end. I . . .

God I love this movie. Now I'm going to continue my search for a 50,000+ word slice-of-life fanfiction detailing the idyllic days of Guy and his friends, and delves deeper into the implications of Guy being the first true artificial intelligence that philosophers and scientists all over the world seek to speak with and observe.